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E-Commerce Gamification: Turn Store into a Game

The product is done, the brand and all resources are set. Now all you need to think is the promotion. How your customer catches the phrase of your promotion tagline or saw your ads with all pleasures. One thing we should try is the e-commerce gamification. A strategy to create a fun, challenging and persuasive environment on your e-commerce website. Because who doesn't like games, right?

What is E-Commerce Gamification?

First thing first, just like what I said before, e-commerce gamification is an option to keep the pace of your company in the competition. It's not literally making your store into a pure game, but rather creating a feature that supports the ‘game' concept itself. Let's just take an example for that.

Starbucks Reward

A gigantic coffee shop with more than a thousand physical stores around the world also takes advantage to gain more customer. They create a program called "Starbucks Reward" that will give you stars if you can buy coffee and you can control it easily from the mobile app. Also, Starbucks gives another related feature like paying online with a barcode, top up your balance, buy your friend a coffee, and more. It's not a competitive game to play with your friend, but Starbucks still gain the effectiveness from those features.

Another story about this program is they are creating levels for the customers. A concept about "Green Member" and "Gold Member". Of course, the "Gold Member" get more advantage than the green one. And if you want to get the gold one, then simply you have to buy more coffee and merchandise from the store.

How To Set Up Your Own Game

Doing e-commerce gamification is not an easy job. Yet, there are things to be considered before you set up your own game. The most basic part is you need to consider the game itself. There are tons of games out there. And you can't just pick one genre and set it up to your site. Your business model and business industry are important as your basic game model.

For example, if you have an online food store, you can create a simple game like getting a random bonus when you buy a specific amount of food at one time. Or you can challenge your friend and get free food from the challenge.

Development Process
There are two options, a mobile app or website. Nike's "Winter's Angry" program is a game that used their website to operate. The customer needs to visit the site first from a browser so that they can play the sport-like game.

Another example that gamifies their business but using a mobile app is Duolingo. A language learning app that has more than 20 languages to learn. It uses a lot of gamification.

Six levels and all signed-in member of Duolingo could spend their time playing language game. Besides, they can ask their friend to join the competition. Even if you don't have any friend, you still can join another party to compete with other online students. The point is you can start playing the game easily by signing in to the app and join the competition right away.

Of course, there are two options, you can pay what you do in the app or just use the free membership. But the game makes you want to try more and more. And sometimes persuade you to try the premium version. This is where you can get profit from the game.

The Art of MasteryChallenges, Levels, and Leaderboard

Playing as a member is the first step to create a loyal customer. But we are not done yet. Mastery is the highest level of all of it. When you play a game, there is an urge, whether from the outside or the inside of you, push you to master the game. Play the game until you pass through the finish line. But you will face challenges, levels, and all of those come in a leaderboard.

Play The Game with Your Friends
It's more fun and challenging if you can show off your strength to your friends. It will be a fierce battle between your customer to be on top. And of course, when your game is already fun, you don't have to convince more people, the customer will have it done for you. They sincerely give a good rating both for your store and the game. It will also increase the chance to give more promotion and elevate the sales of your products.

You Do Good, Then We will Give You More
Incentive, just like what behavioral people did to any kind of experiment. People want to be rewarded if they do something good. Including playing games. What Starbucks did is nice since they can increase their sales, gain more customer, and get profit from the downloadable mobile app. The e-commerce gamification will not work if the customer doesn't get anything for their play.

Conclusion

If you don't find a clue for your store, then I think the e-commerce gamification is quite good for the store. Everyone loves the game. But you will need a web developer to create the game and run your e-commerce gamification. After that, promote it to your customer and see its magic.

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